My favourite aunt is purple: Why some people see 'auras' around their loved ones

Publication date:
Feb 24, 2006 12:44:28 PM

Supposed psychic powers that enable people to see auras around
others may simply be a quirk of the brain, according to a University
College London (UCL) study of a rare form of synaesthesia where some
people see colourful 'auras' around their loved ones.

The case study, reported in the October issue of Cognitive
Neuropsychology, shows how some people can experience colours in
response to people they know or words that evoke emotions - a condition
known as emotion-colour synaesthesia.

Dr Jamie Ward, author of the study, says: "A popular notion is that
some people have a magical ability to detect the hidden emotions of
others by seeing a colourful 'aura' or energy field that they give off.
Our study suggests a different interpretation. These colours do not
reflect hidden energies being given off by other people, rather they
are created entirely in the brain of the beholder."

In the study, Dr Ward of UCL's Psychology Department documented a
woman known as GW who could see colours like purple and blue in
response to people she knew or their names when read to her. Words
triggered a colour which spread across her whole field of vision,
whilst people themselves appeared to have coloured 'auras' projected
around them. For example, 'James' triggered pink, 'Thomas' black and 'Hannah' blue.

A similar test using 100 words rated on a scale of 1 to 7 for their
emotional impact showed that highly emotive words such as fear or hate
also triggered colours. Words associated with positive emotions tended
to elicit pink, orange, yellow, and green, whereas words associated
with negative emotions triggered brown, grey, and black.

Whilst it is quite common to describe people or emotions
metaphorically in terms of colours, GW actually reported vividly seeing
them. Indeed, when 'James' (a pink word) was written in the wrong
colour (e.g. blue), her reaction times were slowed.

Synaesthesia is a condition found in 1 in 2000 people in which
stimulation of one sense produces a response in one or more of the
other senses. For example, people with synaesthesia may experience
shapes with tastes or smells with sounds. It is thought to originate in
the brain and some scientists believe it might be caused by a
cross-wiring in the brain, for example between centres involved in
emotional processing and smell perception. Synaesthesia is known to run
in families.

GW, 19-year old with an IQ of 112, became aware of her condition
around the age of seven but refrained from telling her family or
friends. In GW's case, people acquired a synaesthetic colour as she got
to know them and the colour was then triggered whenever she was
presented with the person's name or face.

In contrast, a case discovered in the 1930s documents a seven year
old boy who also associated colours with people, but saw strangers in
bright orange with a black outline which faded to a mild blue and
finally pink when he got to know them.

Dr Jamie Ward continues: "The ability of some people to see the
coloured auras of others has held an important place in folklore and
mysticism throughout the ages. Although many people claiming to have
such powers could be charlatans, it is also conceivable that others are
born with a gift of synaesthesia.

"GW does not believe she has mystical powers and has no
interest in the occult, but it is not hard to imagine how, in a
different age or culture, such an interpretation could arise.

"Rather than assuming that people give off auras or energy fields
that can only be detected by rigged cameras or trained seers, we need
only assume that the phenomenon of synaesthesia is taking place."

Notes to the editor:

For more information or to set up an interview, please contact Jenny
Gimpel at the UCL Media Relations Office on +44 (0)20 7679 9739, e-mail
j.gimpel@ucl.ac.uk.